Monday, January 20, 2014

New York State DEC wants mute swans killed or captured by 2025

By Cyndi Murray
Riverhead News Review

Citing “aggressive behavior towards people” and “destruction of submerged aquatic vegetation,” the state Department of Environment Conservation has released a new plan to kill or capture all wild mute swans by 2025.

The DEC’s Management Plan for Mute Swans in New York State aims to reduce the population of mute swans, which has grown considerably in recent years on Long Island. ...

Friday, January 10, 2014

The environmental, and economic, costs of invasive species

Ignoring the impacts of ecosystem changes comes with a price tag

By Alexandra Pecci
The New Hampshire Business Review

The tunicate is a spineless marine animal
that’s better known by another name -- sea squirt, which sounds like a
cute little creature that might be the best friend of a cartoon mermaid.
But Larry Harris has a nickname for didemnum, one particular kind of
sea squirt that is anything but cute.

"My term for it is the tunicate from hell,” says Harris, professor and
chair of the department of biological sciences at the University of New
Hampshire.

That’s because didemnum grow in thick, sheet-like colonies that cover
moorings, pilings, float bottoms and anything else they can get a hold
of. In New Hampshire, it’s a serious marine pest.
Didemnum is one of many non-native, invasive species that dominate the
coastal waters of New Hampshire and New England. Invasive marine species
like didemnum do more than simply take over their new environments.

“It does have economic impacts,” Harris says. “Everything from clogging
intakes to cooling systems of water treatment plans to having a
negative impact on aquacultures.” ...

New York State DEC proposes regulatory changes to prevent the introduction of aquatic invasive species at boat launches

By WBNG News

(WBNG Binghamton) The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is proposing new regulations to prevent the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species at DEC boat launches, DEC Commissioner Joe Martens announced.

The proposed regulatory changes require boaters to remove all visible
plants and animals from boats, trailers and associated equipment and to
drain boats before launching at or leaving a DEC boat launch and
waterway access.

DEC will accept public comments on the proposal through
February 24, 2014. Comments on the proposed regulations can be sent via
e-mail to fishregs@gw.dec.state.ny.us, or mailed to Edward Woltmann, New
York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Bureau of
Fisheries, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4753. ...

About Me

I am a consulting ecologist specializing in ecological restoration, invasive species, and conservation planning.
I have a 20-year background in natural resources management, including nine years with The Nature Conservancy on Long Island as Invasive Species Project Director. Past employers include the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), Natural Land Institute, and Onondaga County Parks. I have an M.S. degree in forest resources management from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) at Syracuse. Most importantly, I have three wonderful children: Erin, Cara, and Willy.
This is my personal blog; the views expressed here are my own.
To contact me regarding invasive species, please e-mail me at bjacobs@geiconsultants.com